Factors Associated with Event Level Anal Sex and Condom Use During Anal Sex Among Adolescent Women

Abstract 

Purpose

To examine the distribution of and factors associated with event-level heterosexual anal sex and of event-level condom use during anal sex among adolescent women.

Methods

Adolescent women (N=387; age 14–17 years at enrollment) were recruited from primary care clinics for a longitudinal cohort study of sexually transmitted infections and sexual behavior. Data were taken from daily sexual diaries; generalized estimating equation logistic regression assessed the likelihood of anal sex or condom use during anal sex on a given day.

Results

Heterosexual anal intercourse is a small but nonrandom event-level component in adolescent women's sexual behavior. About 30% of anal sex events were condom protected. Mood, partner, and situational factors predicted anal sex, but not condom use during anal sex; within-day and recent behavior factors were the strongest influences on both outcomes.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest the importance of providers' screening adolescent women patients during office visits about anal sex and about condom use during anal sex, as well as asking questions about the context of these behaviors to appropriately tailor risk reduction counseling.

Keywords: Anal sex, Condoms, Adolescent women, Diary data